When driving: Always be prepared. Surround your vehicle with space in front and on at least one side to escape conflict.

Leave a 1 car -length space cushion between you and the car in front of you at stop signs and intersections, (check your mirrors to make sure the person behind you is stopping, if not use up your space cushion, move forward slowly or change lanes if possible.)

If the person in front of you stops suddenly, stop as soon as possible, but if you have time , check your mirror to make sure the person behind you can stop before hitting you, if not use up your space cushion to give him as much room as possible.

Whenever you hit someone from the rear, it is automatically your fault, a driver needs to have control of his, or her vehicle at all times. There are no excuses for rear ending someone, regardless of how quickly they stop.

Always use your turn signals

Stay at least 2 seconds behind the car in front of you(1 car length for every 10 MPH.)

3 seconds in adverse weather

Slow down in heavy rain, your vehicle will hydroplane if you go to fast.

Every vehicle is different, vehicles with wider tires will hydroplane quicker than vehicles with narrower tires.

Check other drivers and vehicles for movement, watch drivers heads for movement, remember, the wheels of a vehicle are the first thing to start moving, check them.

As in driving, in the game of life, Always be prepared and have a plan B, many times at the last minute our plans dissolve and one needs an alternate plan of action to avoid possible disaster and heartache. If life changes and you have no escape route, it is you who will pay the consequences.

Gary has been awriter/photographer for over thirty years. Specializing in nature and landscape photography, while studying native cultures.

His travels have taken him to most of the United States, as well as Australia, Belize, Egypt and the Canary Islands.

He has studied the Mayan culture of Central America and the aborigines of

Australia. Photography has given him the opportunity to observe life in various parts of the world.

He has observed that many of the forgotten cultures had spiritual beliefs that were stronger than ours in modern times.

In technology, we have made advances far superior to those that came before us, but, we have lagged behind in gaining or maintaining our spiritual knowledge.

For us to advance as the human race, we need to combine the spiritual knowledge of those that came before us, not only that of the ancients but the knowledge of our direct ancestors as well, with the technical knowledge we have today for us to propel into the twenty-first century and beyond.